Bane: The Man behind the Mask
by Whisperswatcher
Summary: Gotham is recovering from a painful darkness, a fear that has gripped all our hearts until all that was left was Chaos. The Dark Knight saved us and now in this time of peace darkness creeps in to the hearts of the innocent ... and in this city Peace doesn't last forever. This is Gotham's story after the Dark Knight has fallen, the story of a beast of a man destroyed and broken
1. In the Shadows

A tear fell from her cheek as the bomb that had been terrorizing Gotham exploded across the sea destroying itself and the Batman. She felt her body shoved back from the force of the blast, shakily standing she stood staring down at the ruins of her home city. Slowly she descended down the fire escape, her right arm throbbing obviously broken from a brawl a few moments before, hitting the ground she moved in the direction of help until a noise snapped her eyes down a dark alleyway. Gingerly she stepped forward to the sound of a pained moan in the shadows, her eyes focused in the darkness as a beast of a man struggled to stand, he crashed in to the cans almost knocking them over regaining his balance on his giant feet. From her position she could see his broad shoulders and bold head, his body was bent over hiding his face from view.

"Are you OK?" She spoke as she made her way to him, her body full of adrenaline, closing in she spotted the red spots of blood oozing from a wound on the mans chest. "Oh my god your hurt." Forgetting her fear she closed the space between them, her nursing skills filling her mind, placing her hand on his broad shoulders she made to move his body to inspect the wound, after a few moments he obeyed her delicate touch straightening his body and exposing his face.

"Bane" Her blood ran cold as she jumped back, crashing and knocking the trash cans over. The man that had brought terror and destruction on to Gotham sank to his knees before her, agony etched on the small features that weren't covered by his mask. Her mind screamed for her to run but there was something in this monster's pain filled eyes that stopped her.

"Well what do we have here?" Turning her back on Bane she watched as two men stalked towards her, the adrenaline quickly returning to her body, grabbing a glass bottle from the ground she held it high in her left hand, ready.

"Back off." She spoke, cursing at how high her voice had sounded, still the men approached sneers across there vile faces before her.

"Ooh the bitch has bark." One of them spoke stepping ever so slowly forward until they were arms length from her.

"I have bite too." She spoke swinging her weapon hard across the mans skull, it smashed on impact, the other grabbed at her broken wrist making her yell out in pain, swinging wildly again she clipped the second mans arm causing a deep rip in his skin. The first thug had recovered from his blow and threw his fist hard against her face sending her crashing back on the street floor, kicks connected to her body as she felt the pain slowly turn to numbness, the darkness creeped around her blurring her vision.

Suddenly the men stopped there brutal attack by the almost forgotten Bane, even with a quarter of his strength he ripped them apart, there screams filling the crisp Gotham night.

Her body felt like it was floating as the sound of Banes masked breathing filled her ears. "Thank you." Those two words escaped her lips as she became consumed in the darkness.

**Hi Guys Whispers Watcher here with my brand new fanfiction! I am a massive Tom Hardy fan and as I was watching The Dark Knight Rises like it does every time Banes "Ending" bugged me, like seriously I ranted to my best friends who I don't think have ever seen the film for a good two hours! Anyway I thought that if you don't like it I should write a story that I believe in and so here is the beginning. **

**Please let me know what you think from the comments, i am a full Marvel girl so this is going to be a lot harder then Whisper's story which is all planned out in my head, where this one is coming to me as I write and don't forget to read and enjoy.**

**WW**


	2. Thank You

Her head felt groggy as her eyes flickered opened to the bright hospital lights above her, she knew she was in a hospital bed from the familiar noises around her.

"Miss." A voice spoke softly beside her causing her to snap her head in the woman's direction, instantly she regrets it from the throbbing pain in her face and neck. "I need you to stay still as we need to check that you don't have concussion."

"I'm fine." She spoke, her throat ached as memories of the alleyway filled her mind, the men stalking her, the scrap that ensued and Bane...saving her. Is that what he did? Did he bring her here to be treated. She lifted herself up studying the jeans and black top she had been wearing last night, her right arm from wrist to elbow was confined in to a cast as she winced at the bruising already coming out on her hand and fingers.

"You really should lie down." The voice again spoke, she turned to study the woman at her side, she was young probably the same age as herself with big blue eyes and blonde hair scraped back in a bun.

"My name is Maggie Griffin, my birthday is March 6th 1993, I live at 256 Street Gotham. I have an older brother named Scott and before Gotham was dragged to hell I was training to be a nurse." Maggie spoke again moving, she gingerly stepped towards her grey jacket when a hand reached out and grabbed it before her a familiar voice making her smile.

"And she doesn't like to be told what to do." Smiling Maggie looked up at the body attached to the arm, the one and only John Blake. He stood a head taller then her and he hadn't changed a bit since the last time he saw her, jet black hair slicked back, a handsome face and cheeky dark eyes though they seemed full of concern right now.

"Can I go?" Maggie asked at the woman who was writing notes in her chart she nodded and told her that the doctor would need to see her in a couple of weeks to assess her arm.

Steadily her and Blake walked down the busy hospital corridor not knowing what to say, Maggie caught herself glancing at her childhood crushes, checking for any reason why he would be here. She mentally kicked herself after three years he could affect her the way he did.

"What happened Mag?" Blake asked snapping her out of her thoughts, she sighed as thought back to last night, the bomb, the madness, Bane.

"Fell off a building I guess, memories a bit hazy." She didn't know why she lied, the thought of mentioning Bane and the men made her feel icy inside. " Next thing I know I'm here."

"You were dumped outside on an empty gurney, someone brought you in but didn't stay, could it have been Scott?" Blake spoke, they both moved to empty seats near the exit of the hospital the short walk draining all the energy from Maggie even though she wouldn't admit it.

"I haven't seen Scott in months." Maggie answered a little too quickly, Scott was her older brother he had once been best friends with Blake but as they grew up they both chose different sides of the law. "I haven't seen Scott since he got out of prison."

"You mean since Bane let them out." Blake interrupted, Maggie stood biting her cheek to stop herself from whimpering from the pain, she didn't know what made her blood boil more, Blake's tone towards her brother or the mere mention of Bane.

"If your looking for Scott try to find someone else to give you a lead." She moved towards the bathroom door as Blake gently grabbed her left wrist.

"I'm sorry Maggie I didn't come her to fight about Scott." His eyes rung truth to his words.

"Why are you here Blake?"

"I came in last night with some of the kids at the orphanage that got bumped around in the attack and saw you lying outside wrapped in a rag and I couldn't leave. Mag's I was worried about you." Maggie looked up in his dark eyes and smiled the best she could.

"I'll be fine Blake, I always am. You don't have to watch out for me anymore." She gently pulled her hand from his grasp as she stared at her fingers. "I'm not a kid anymore." Turning she entered the bathroom leaving Blake watching her leave.

She gasped a little at her reflection, no wonder Blake was so worried, her normally hint of olive skin was deathly pale except for the blue and purple bruises that covered her jaw and above her right eye, her right hazel eye was bloodshot and looked painful. She pulled her fingers through her long light brown hair, the knots clung to her fingers and hurt her scalp "Shower." She thought as she turned back out of the bathroom to the Blake-less corridor.

"I'm fine Harley, just a bit battered and bruised." Maggie spoke on the phone to her best friend Harley, with great difficulty she managed to continue her conversation on her cell phone and get her apartment key in the lock without dropping or injuring herself any further. "We'll have to meet up and you can tell me all about your new job."

"If you need me you know where I am." Harley spoke before ending the call as Maggie entered her apartment, it wasn't much but it was her's. Locking the door, she threw her cell and her keys on her green fabric chair, she pulled off her jacket and struggled with it over her pot as she moved towards her bedroom and her bathroom aching for a shower. Jumping back a scream escaped her lungs as sat on the edge of her bed, hands resting on his legs, covered in his own blood and breathing heavy was Bane.

"Whhaat are you doing here." She spoke slowly moving backwards, he stood moving quietly towards her, she noticed that he was still injured.

"I am in need of assistance." He spoke, she noted it took him a while to get the words out, still she moved back unsure of his intentions, it was only when he lost his footing and stumbled having to stoop himself from falling by holding on to the chair that she knew he wasn't here to hurt her.

"Sit down." She ordered just like the nurse had done to her, she didn't think he would but after a moment he did and sat on the her chair moving her keys and phone. He made the chair look small with his huge body, turning Maggie entered her small kitchen and grabbed her first aid kit and returned to him "You'll um... you'll have to take your shirt off." He stared at her, those cool calculating eyes and finally did what she asked.

He nearly took her breath away, not just with his giant, powerful body that radiated heat before her but with the bullet holes that filled his broad chest. "What happened to you?" She murmured almost to herself as examined his wounds.

"A cat." He spoke, with his shirt off she could see the effort it took him to speak, slowly she grabbed bandages from her first aid kit, her eyes staring in to his she moved and began to treat the wounds.

"Must of been a big cat." She murmured, she forgot who it was she was treating as her hands began the once familiar task of caring for someone, when she was finished she turned her eyes up towards Bane's almost shocked that his eyes were fixed on her's. Standing she picked up all the rubbish, stiffly she walked throwing it and her gloves in the bin.

"I want to say thank you for saving me last night and taking me to the hospital." She turned to face him as he stood putting his top back on "I um.. I don't think I would be here if you hadn't."

"You are welcome." He spoke moving towards her window.

"What will you do now?" She asked a rising panic clawing its way at the thought that he was leaving. "Batman's gone, most of your gang are either locked up or dead."

"Wait for my sentence to be carried out." Bane spoke, he turned from the window and slowly moved towards Maggie, her heart raced as he stood mere centimeters from her "Thank you Maggie Griffin." She closed her eyes trying to calm her heart and when she opened them he was gone.


End file.
